Safety, Freedom, Welcome and Worship...
A message from Bishop Steve asking us to continue to reflect on vaccinations and our ministry as the body of Christ.
Tenā katou Sisters and Brothers in Christ.
Let’s celebrate and affirm our relationship with each other and God, made visible through Jesus Christ. And with all the uncertainty and anxiety that change – COVID related and other – is forcing us to address, let us remember our primary gospel message that Jesus Christ is, and will remain GOOD NEWS.
Over the years – centuries in some places – that the church has had the privilege to be present in communities , there has had to be a constant atmosphere of adaptation:
- do we meet in secret or public?
- do we have a dedicated building, priest, baptism policy, view on sexuality?
- how far can we engage with the arts in music or paintings?
- where does the balance between worship and community service lie?
All these questions (and more) have challenged the church over the years, and I think should continue to do so as we seek to make a difference in the world.
And the church has sought to maintain a practical balance between being distinctive from, as well as being cooperative with, surrounding society.
We have rightly come to expect that when we come to meet together as church - however that expression is worked out - we will not be robbed, insulted or exposed to danger. Sadly this has not always been the case, but it should be a basic aspiration for all of us. No group should gather in a building that is likely to fall down, or be shedding asbestos. Again most expect this, and respect this, even if there are disagreements over some details.
COVID-19 has raised all numbers of uncertainties:
- what is the long term effect of having COVID-19?
- Will there be late sequelae (other conditions that come later) we cannot envisage now? – like shingles after chickenpox, post-polio syndrome or any of the other post-viral late complications that accompany other diseases?
- will there be a danger of the vaccination?
- What will come in time as more and more are vaccinated? Will we see the eradication of the disease - as in smallpox and nearly with polio – or will there be emergence of health issues yet to be discovered?
Within this uncertainty, we also need to look at what is happening now: COVID-19 remains a killer disease – that is certain – and those vaccinated are at a lower risk of contracting COVID-19, a lower risk of serious complications, a lower risk of dying, and a lower risk of infecting others.
Our country has broadly accepted vaccination – as I write 79% are vaccinated.
Schools and health facilities have taken the decision to minimise risk – teaching staff and medical workers will be vaccinated.
I believe that we in the church, where we are offering public service, should be offering the same degree of reassurance. Leaders – again in the broadest sense – need to be known as being at low risk of harming others.
Those who are coming to our buildings and encountering us need to know they can be at low risk of contracting any harm – and COVID-19 is only one example – but one that we can influence.
As I write we are not sure what the country is going to expect of us, but I suspect more and more of public services will need to be vaccinated, and I suspect that if we continue to want to meet together in groups of more than ten, this will apply to us.
We will need to be asking ourselves who needs to be vaccinated if they are in any form of leadership? Can we start asking this now?
With my love and prayers